Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-05-20
RIVAL PETROLEUM POWERS.
Competition Between the United States
and Russia-Burmah's oil Wells.

Competition Between the United States
and Russia-Burmah's Oil Wells.
The United States and Russia are now
rival petroleum powers. Within ten
years the Paris Rothschilds have invested
$40, 600 in the Baku oil fields, and
the engineering skill of Ludwig Nobel has
made the Caspian district the center of d
gigantic commercial enterprise. The an
nual production of lamp oil in that quar-
ter now exceeds 125, 600, 900 gallons; .
great fleet of tank steamers has beer
built; thousands of tank cars are running
on Russian railways; 100 miles of pipt
line have been laid; the export of liquiC
fuel reaches 115, 1000 900 gallons yearly
and the petroleum trade on the continen
has been revolutionized. The loss o
American trade in Europe caused by thu
development of the Baku oil fields has beel
made up 10y an enormous increase of th
export of petroleum to Australia and In
dia. Russia is now attempting to com
pete with America by shipping oil iron
Batoum to Bombay; and by the acquis
ton of Burmah England has it in he
power to enter the field as a FORMIDABLE
rival for the control of the Indian ami
Australian market.
Mr.. Charles Marvin has recently pul
lished an incisive pamphlet on this ng
field for British enterprise. He descrils
the Burmese oil fields as immensely val
able and capable of indefinite eXtenso.
The chief deposits are at Genangyoug
Irawady, about sixty miles above te
terminus of the Rangoon railway; an
there are additional fields in Assam al
in two islands on the coast of Burma.
The existence of the oil field has ben
known for a century, but the industrys
still as undeveloped as Baku was n
years ago. The deepest well does not ,
below 400 feet, and the total prodtt
shipped in 1884 to Rangoon did 1t
exceed 1000, 900 gallons. The direcr
of the geological survey of India, W.
has carefully explored the region, p
diets that under proper management al
with improved engineering processes /
enormous export trade can be establish.
He considers it safe prophecy ''that e
oil measures of eastern India may @
supplying half the world with liet
within measurable time when the Am-
lean oil pools have run dry. Mr.. NJ
vim. taking up the parable, pronouns
England's prospects as petroleum poT
as unsurpassed, since the Burmah VS.
are inexhaustible and most convenie1y
situated for supplying the Indian al
Australian as well as the European n
ket. The oil deposits are near the cos,
and can be connected easily with "a
COON by railway and pipe line, All ut
is needed. in his opinion, for making E
land a successful rival of the IND
States and Russia is capital aided byl-
cheering genius.
The same objection which was md
against the development of the Baklil
district applies to Burmah. While I'm
100 gallons of crude petroleum in Pn
sylvania seventy-tive gallons of lamil
can he obtained, the proportion is nh
lower for the competing fields. Iu
crude yields only thirty gallons of lip
oil and Ienangyoung even less. +.
Marvin, while contending that it is p
mature to judge of the quality of T.
NAH petroleum until deeper boringTe
made, is willing to take the proportias
it stands and to guarantee eXtraordi:y
prosperity to this new British indust-
New York Tribune.